It's been ten years since I first met Alex Wallash. We were in high school. Back then, it wasn't a mash paddle in his hands—it was a lacrosse stick. He knew me as "that guy that always carries a camera," but that was about the extent of our familiarity. Our paths crossed again in college. Super tall and permanently smiling, it was hard to miss him as we intersected in the halls of UC Santa Barbara. Still, our relationship didn't extend much beyond that cool-guy head-nod of acknowledgement.

Several years after our respective graduations, though, fate brought us together again—this time in the craft beer industry. We had both developed a passion for beer at UCSB, a school known for its love of Keystone Light, and independently sought to build a career out of it.

Today, Alex has partnered with Jay Goodwin, former Head of Barrel-Aging at Orange County's sour-happy The Bruery, and Jay's father, Brad, to create the Rare Barrel. On the verge of licensing approval, they will produce exclusively barrel-aged sour beers. Their first stainless fermentation tank is arriving as I type this.

About the author: Mike Reis is a Certified Cicerone and Co-Director of Beer at the Monk's Kettle and Abbot's Cellar restaurants in San Francisco. Follow him on Twitter @beerspeaks or find him behind a pint near you.

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About the Author

Mike Reis is a Certified Cicerone working as Minister of Education for California-based distributor Lime Ventures. Previously, he co-managed the beer program at San Francisco's Abbot's Cellar and The Monk's Kettle. Follow him on Twitter @beerspeaks or find him behind a pint near you.